


Like You a Latte

by lovelyavengers (fandomsandxfiles)



Series: Peggysous and Agent Carter [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24064111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomsandxfiles/pseuds/lovelyavengers
Summary: Peggy won't admit that she has a crush on the new barista at her favorite cafe. Thankfully, her friends are willing to do a little meddling to get them together.warning: horrible coffee themed puns
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa
Series: Peggysous and Agent Carter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892692
Comments: 17
Kudos: 53
Collections: Get Well Soon Summer 2020





	Like You a Latte

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vintagelavenderskies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vintagelavenderskies/gifts).



> Written as part of the Get Well Soon exchange, for the lovely @vintagelavenderskies. Hope you enjoy!!

"Wake up sleepyhead!" Peggy awoke to pounding on her door and groaned, still half asleep. 

"What?" she said grumpily, pulling her blanket up over her head. "Can't I just sleep?" 

The door opened and Violet bounced into the room, grabbing a decorative pillow from a chair and tossing it at Peggy. "Nope! It's my day off and you promised me that we were going to hang out and do something fun!" 

"We would have more fun if you let me sleep in." 

"Peggy I love you, but it's not that amusing to listen to you snore all the time. You told me that the next time I had a day off of rotation that we would do something. I've had a tough week and I can tell you have as well, so today we are going to forget all our troubles." 

Peggy sat up in bed and looked blearily at Violet. "Alright. I suppose I did promise a girl's day a while ago and we never got a chance. What do you want to do anyway?" 

Violet smiled. "I figured we could go down to that cute little coffee shop on third, get some breakfast, and then take a shopping day around the city. It's a beautiful day Peg, we need to get outside! You've been trapped in the archives of the museum among things that are god knows how old, and I've been surrounded by the sick and dying every single day." 

Peggy nodded. "Give me a half hour to get ready and then we'll head out, okay?" 

"Deal," Violet answered, getting up to get ready herself. "But if they're out of bear claws by the time we get there, I don't know if I can be friends with you anymore!" 

***

The Coffee Bean was a cute little coffee shop that was tucked away, almost hiding from the bustle of the city. It was well known among city natives but always passed on by tourists, which was something that Peggy and Violet liked about it, and they made an effort to stop there for breakfast or lunch every chance they got. Violet swore by their lattes and Peggy hadn't found a place that made better tea, and after a while, had gotten friendly enough with the staff that whenever they walked in, they were welcomed with a warm smile, a nice conversation, and occasionally, a free pastry or two. When Peggy and Violet walked in this morning, the shop wasn't that busy, so they walked right up to the counter and waited for the barista to notice them. 

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the two biggest troublemakers of this establishment."

Peggy and Violet both smiled in response. "Good morning to you too Jack." Jack Thompson was the senior barista at the cafe, and had the power to make any drink you asked for perfectly, every single time. 

The blond's face broke into a smile and he started to grab two cups for them. "The usual? Or are you going to confuse me this time?" 

"Well I'm nothing if not consistent," Peggy answered. "No surprises today. But we are staying for breakfast."

"One medium English breakfast tea with two sugars coming right up!" Jack said, writing it on the cup and setting it aside. "And for you Violet?" 

"I think I might mix it up today," she answered, looking up at the menu board. "Give me a second to decide." 

While Violet went over the menu looking for something to drink, the door to the back room opened and an unfamiliar man walked out. Peggy noticed him immediately, not because of the crutch he walked with, but because he was strikingly handsome. The man headed over to Jack and stopped when he saw Peggy and Violet staring at him. 

"Hi," he said awkwardly. 

"Hi!" Violet said excitedly. 

"Peggy, Violet, this is Daniel Sousa, he's the newest hire," Jack said, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. "Daniel, this is Peggy and Violet, they're the biggest troublemakers this shop's ever seen." 

Peggy nodded in greeting. "It's nice to meet you. Have you been here long?" 

"Not too long, this is my second week." 

After a few more pleasantries, Daniel asked Jack a hushed question that Peggy couldn't quite make out, and Jack gave him in equally hushed answer before Daniel turned and headed back towards the back. 

"What was that all about?" Violet questioned. 

"Just an issue with some of the inventory that he's unpacking. The company we order from has been really unreliable for the last month or so and we keep either missing shipments or getting the wrong products. It's been a nightmare." 

"How is Daniel liking working here?" Violet said quietly. 

"He's a natural barista," Jack said. "He'll be whipping up all kinds of crazy creations in no time." 

"Do you know why he has the crutch?" Peggy could stop herself from asking. 

"Hasn't said anything about it other than assure us that he's still fully capable of working. I didn't want to push it by being too nosy." 

Peggy was about to answer when the bell hanging on the door jingled, signaling that a new customer has entered the cafe. Her and Violet quickly finished giving their order to Jack before stepping out of the way and letting the man behind them go. Violet picked a table near the counter, so they could still chat with Jack when he had a chance, with Peggy following her. 

A few moments later their drinks are ready, along with a freshly baked banana nut muffin for each of them (and a bear claw to-go for Violet). After finishing their breakfast and calling out a goodbye to Jack, who was helping a customer, Peggy and Violet walked out into the street and headed towards some stores, ready to go shopping. 

***

Peggy had not planned on going dress shopping today. In her opinion, dress shopping is something not done on a fun "girls day." But Violet dragged her into the store because she knew that Peggy would just find something in the back of her closet and go with that.

"But you need a dress for this Peggy!" 

"I have the one from last year, I can just wear that!" The museum that Peggy worked at was opening up a new exhibit, comprised of recovered letters between soldiers and their families during wartime. Peggy was the one who had basically set the entire exhibit up, and the museum was hosting a fundraiser gala that would also serve as the grand opening. 

"You are one of the guests of honor, and as your best friend it is my responsibility to make sure you show up and are the best looking person there," Violet said, rummaging through the endless racks of dresses. "Now either go look for a dress that you like or sit down and mope somewhere else because I am a woman on a mission!" 

In the time that followed, Peggy tried on more dresses than she could have ever imagined. Long dresses, short dresses, fitted dresses, ball gowns, you name it. But she never felt strong enough about a single dress to buy it. Violet, who Peggy was taking to the gala as her plus one and moral support, had already picked out a dress to buy, but Peggy was still at square one. 

"I think it's a lost cause at this point," Peggy said as she looked through the racks for what felt like the thousandth time. "I'll just wear one of the ones I have at home."

"We'll go another day too if we have to, but you are going to get a new dress if it's the last thing I do!" 

Peggy sighed and was ready to call it quits when she noticed a dress she hadn't seen before. It was a deep blue ballgown, but it wasn't overly poofy like so many of the other ones Peggy tried on. In a stroke of luck that Peggy so desperately needed, it happened to be in her size and wasn't overly expensive. In an ever greater stroke of luck or fate, Peggy fell in love with the dress the minute she put it on. "Violet!" she called out from the dressing room. "What do you think of this one?" 

Violet poked her head in and her jaw dropped. She walked into the dressing room, practically vibrating with excitement. "It's perfect! Peggy you're going to make every single person at that event's jaw drop when they see you!"

"I wouldn't go that far-" Peggy started to respond. 

"This is literally the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Oh if that barista from this morning saw you now I think he'd faint! This is perfect Peg, you're going to buy it right?" 

"Yeah, I checked the price before I brought it in to try on," Peggy said, before her brain caught up to her ears on what Violet had said. "What do you mean by 'the barista from this morning?' we spoke to him for a grand total of two minutes. Whatever you think you've seen between us isn't there. He's a nice guy and we'll probably talk a little more if he continues to work there, but that's it." 

"Are you kidding? He went positively bright red when he saw you, and you were eerily quiet for those so-called 'two minutes' as well," Violet said, raising her eyebrow. "I think someone has a cruuush," she added in a sing-song voice. 

"I think you've been watching too many of those cheesy romance movies," Peggy said, shaking her head. "That you're making things up. Real life isn't a movie, you know." 

"I can't help it if that's the only channel that the head nurse ever has on the TV at work!" Violet said. "And I'm saying that because it's the truth Peggy, even if you can't see it."

"Whatever you say Violet, but I wouldn't hold your breath." 

***

No matter how much Peggy denied it, Violet wouldn't let anything go. She was absolutely convinced that something had happened between Peggy and Daniel for the fleeting moments they interacted with each other at The Coffee Bean. Peggy's last relationship has ended over five years ago and since then, she hasn't gone on a single date, as far as Violet knew. 

But after receiving the same answer every single time Peggy asked, Violet was getting tired of asking. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. 

Jack looked almost shocked when Violet walked through the doors by herself, Peggy nowhere in sight. "Where's Peggy? I though you two were attached at the hip or something." In all the time he's worked at The Coffee Bean, every single time Violet came in, Peggy was with her. 

Violet rolled her eyes at Jack but smiled. "I'm on my way to work," she said. "But I also need to talk to you about something, and it requires Peggy not knowing about it." 

"Wow, sounds like a big deal then." 

Violet nodded and leaned in a little closer. "Is Daniel in today?" she asked quietly, looking around. 

Jack shook his head. "He's not in until tomorrow. Why? You need to talk to him?" 

"No!" Violet said a little louder, before composing herself and returning to her original volume. "It's good that he's not here right now, I wanted to ask you about something." 

"Now you're worrying me, you know that?" 

"Oh shut up, it's nothing bad!" Violet said. "I don't know if you noticed, but I think those two had something going on between them the other day, but Peggy denied anything when I questioned her about it. I was wondering if you noticed anything." 

Jack rolled his eyes at Violet's obvious meddling, but thought back to that day anyway. "I can't remember anything too obvious," he said. "I mean, Sousa turned bright red when he saw you two staring at him, but I just thought he's still nervous with the new job." 

Violet's face lifted and she giggled in response. "No! That's exactly what I need. I think they're both taken with each other, all I need to do is figure out how to get them together, and I need your help!" 

"For the record, I don't know if anything will come out of this," Jack said, shaking his head. "But Sousa seems like a nice guy and Peggy is a great person, so what do you need from me?" 

***

Peggy was starting to get suspicious. Violet had stopped teasing her about the barista at the cafe, but Peggy didn't think she would have given it up that easily. If Peggy knew her best friend, she knew that she was almost definitely planning something. 

She started to figure it out after a few weeks. Every Saturday, Violet would barge into her room, drag her out for some reason or another, and then somehow they'd end up at The Coffee Bean. She could count on it. There was no consistent time, sometimes it was the morning and sometimes it was the afternoon, but every Saturday Peggy could count on entering the cafe at some point in the day. 

Daniel was seemingly always working when Peggy and Violet were there, and Peggy couldn't help but think that Violet was doing that on purpose, but she could never prove it. How could she be setting this up anyway? So Peggy let that thought go, and for a couple weeks, everything seemed normal. 

Until Violet stepped it up a notch. Now, not only would she find a way to drag Peggy to the cafe every Saturday, whenever they would walk in the door, Violet would have to step away for something. Phone calls, urgent emails that had to be answered right then and there, and one week Violet seemingly just disappeared. This meant that Peggy would have to go up to the counter and order for both of them. And it was always Daniel that she spoke to. It was almost if Jack had disappeared into the back room every time Peggy and Violet walked in to order, and only reappeared after they got their drinks to chat with them for a little. 

After several weeks of the same things happening, Peggy decided to say something. That Saturday, when Violet had to take whatever call she was making up this week, Peggy walked up to the counter and smiled at Daniel. "Have you noticed anything odd lately?" she asked, not bothering with small talk. 

"Odd? What do you mean?" 

"Well firstly, Violet practically drags me here every single Saturday, somehow always at the time you're working, which I still can't figure out how she's done it. Also, whenever we get here, she disappears off to who knows where, which forces me to come up here and place the order for both of us. I think that she thinks there's something between us." 

Daniel turned slightly pink at that. "I haven't really noticed anything odd on this end. We've been really busy trying to fix a consistent shipment issue, so I've been handling the counter while Jack tries to get a hold of the company. He can be scary when he wants to be, I don't think I want to be on the receiving end of that phone call." 

Peggy was going to respond to that before Violet finally graced them with her presence, and both Daniel and Peggy went quiet. Violet gave Peggy a strange look before shrugging and placing her order with Daniel. 

When they finally got their drinks, Violet led Peggy all the way to the corner of the cafe farthest from the counter, which took Peggy by surprise because they normally sat near the counter and chatted with Jack and Daniel while they ate. "Why are we banishing ourselves to the corner?" she asked. 

"This way they can't hear us, duh!" Violet said, taking a sip of her coffee. 

"And why would we care if they could hear us or not?" 

"Because I need to tell you something, and you have to promise not to be mad at me," Violet said quietly. 

"I won't be mad at you," Peggy said. "Whatever you did can't be that bad." 

"My parents just told me yesterday," Violet said. "One of my cousins is getting married and I have to fly out to California for it." 

"Why would I be mad at you?" 

"Because it's the same weekend as your museum gala," Violet said quietly. 

Peggy groaned quietly. "I'm not mad, now I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. I was going to hide behind you for the entire gala." 

"Well-" Violet started to say. 

"Whatever you are about to suggest, I know it is not going to be a good idea." 

"You could ask Daniel to go with you! You know, like a date?" Violet said, raising her eyebrows. 

"Absolutely not." 

"Why? It's a great idea." 

"Like I've told you about a thousand times, there is nothing between us. He does not look at me in any other way than a regular customer at his place of work." 

"So you admit you look at him in a different way?" 

"Violet I love you, but please shut up." 

***

Daniel caught on to Violet and Jack's meddling about a week or so later, when Jack accidentally slipped up and mentioned speaking to Violet. After some questioning, he finally admitted to Daniel that Violet and him thought there could be something between Daniel and Peggy, and that they were trying to get them to talk to each other. 

Daniel wanted to be mad, but the truth was, he did really like Peggy. He just couldn't believe he was being so obvious that Jack had caught onto it. He wanted to ask her out, but nerves always got the best of him. He had been making a list of some puns/coffee themed lines that he could write on her cup when he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out, but so far he hadn't found one that he really liked yet. He kept the list in the pocket of his coat and scribbled new ideas on it anytime they came to him.

Until one day he couldn't find the list. Daniel searched everywhere, high and low for it, but it had somehow just vanished. He hoped it had fell in the garbage or something, because he didn't know if he could handle the embarrassment of it being found. 

Daniel wasn't that lucky though. It was Jack that found the list because it had fallen out onto the floor of the back room. He didn't know what it was at first, but when he realized, he stifled back a laugh. "Those two are such idiots," he said to himself as he shook his head and pocketed the list. Someone was definitely going to have to do something or they'd never go anywhere. 

***

It was getting closer and closer to the day of the gala, and Peggy still didn't know what to do. Nothing in the invitation said she _had_ to bring a date, but she wanted someone that she could hide behind if she felt out of place. The other people who were being mentioned at the event were those who funded the exhibit, and they were all powerful people who knew how to make it through an event like this. Violet kept subtly mentioning that she should invite Daniel, but how weird would that be? As much as Peggy liked the man, she didn't think he saw her as anything other than a regular customer. 

Until one day she walked into the coffee shop with Violet, who walked away to pull her usual tricks (this time a work "call" was the reason she stepped away) and Peggy was almost surprised to see Jack at the counter instead of Daniel. "Jack," she said, trying to hide her expression of slight disappointment. "Usually it's Daniel who's here whenever Violet and I stop by." 

Jack smiled in a manner that unnerved Peggy, like he knew something he shouldn't. "He's still here," he answered. "He looked tired, so I told him to take a break in the back. I'll tell him you were all worried about him though."

Peggy rolled her eyes at him. "Oh shut up, not you too." 

Jack just smiled in response before taking her order. 

Everything was seemingly normal that day, and her and Violet picked their usual table to sit at while waiting for their drinks. After a few minutes, Jack was walking over to them holding their cups, which was odd because he never delivered their food, usually just letting them know by joking around at the counter where drinks were picked up. Peggy shot Jack a look, who just gave her that strange smile in response. He put the drinks down on the table, and passed Peggy a folded piece of paper, then winked and walked away. 

Peggy looked at Violet, who just shrugged. "Open it!" she said excitedly. "I want to know what is it!" 

The note was actually a list, in a handwriting Peggy had come to recognize as Daniel's, with her name scrawled across the top. Most of the items on it had been hastily crossed off. 

-

Peggy: 

I've (coffee) bean thinking of you

~~careful, the cup is hot too!~~

Is your name earl grey? because you look like a hot-tea

~~I'm soy into you~~

~~Bean thinking about you a latte~~

~~You roast my heart~~

Don't put too much sugar in here, you're already super sweet 

-

Peggy was speechless while reading the list, until Violet snatched the piece of paper out of her hands and positively squealed when she read it. "Yes! I knew he liked you!" she said, not bothering to lower her voice. "You have to tell him!" 

Peggy shot Violet a look and shushed her. "First, stop yelling, he's going to hear you! And second, I will think about telling him, but definitely not today! What would I even say?" she whisper-yelled at Violet. 

"How about the truth?" Violet said, raising her eyebrows. "That's you're madly in love with him, you need at date to an event in which you are a _guest of honor,_ and you'd like him to go with you!" 

"No!" 

"Why not?" 

"Because, I don't want him to think the only reason I'm talking to him is to get a date for one night and then ditch him!"

"He's not going to think that!" 

"How do you know?" 

"She's right, he's not going to think that," a new voice cut in. 

Peggy looked up in horror to see Jack standing at their table. "Jack!" 

He raised his hands, as if to say 'i know,' before speaking. "I heard everything, and I happen to know what's on that piece of paper. And what Violet said is right. Danny boy likes you enough to write an arguably horrific list on puns that he could write on your cup, I don't think you have to worry about him thinking you're going to take off on him. Now, come on," he said, taking Peggy's arm. Violet handed him the list and he started to drag Peggy towards the counter. 

"What? Where are we going?" 

"To the back room," Jack answered, pulling her along. "You should feel special, no customer has ever been back there." 

"Jack! Why can't I just come back tomorrow?" 

"Because you and I both know damn well that you're not going to come back tomorrow. Violet is right Peggy, this has gone on long enough!" 

Peggy huffed and accepted defeat, letting Jack drag her behind the counter and into the back room, to find Daniel sitting on a small couch scrolling through his phone. He looked up when Jack and Peggy entered, a look of confusion on his face. "Peggy? What's going on?" 

Peggy was about to respond, but Jack was quicker. He walked over towards Daniel and handed him the piece of paper before turning to leave. "You two aren't allowed to leave that room until you work things out!" he said as he left, presumably to make sure Peggy doesn't try and make a run for it. 

Daniel looked down at the paper and turned bright red. "Peggy, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to find this and you must find it so weird and-" he rambled quickly. 

"Daniel," Peggy said, cutting him off. He continued to speak. "Daniel!" she said louder. "Please, I don't find it weird. I thought it was cute that you thought of those to write on my cup. I didn't think you saw me that way, but I really like you." 

"Wow," Daniel said, taking a breath. "We're a pair of blind idiots, aren't we?" 

Peggy nodded and laughed. "Yeah. I guess we are." A few moments of silence passed before Peggy spoke again. "So, what do we do now?" 

Daniel smiled. "Well, I think I should take you on a date." 

"I think I should accept. And I may have an idea for it." 

***

"I think this is the most unorthodox first date I've ever been on," Daniel said as he and Peggy stepped through the doors of the museum, dressed to the nines. 

Peggy hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, you're the one who said this was okay. We could have gone somewhere else." 

"No it's fine," Daniel said, shaking his head. "Besides, I want to see all your hard work with the exhibit. You keep changing the subject whenever I asked you about it, and Violet was absolutely no help." 

Peggy laughed. "Yeah, she's not terribly interested in history, but she lets me ramble about it at home sometimes. I just didn't think you'd want to hear about my boring work." 

"Come on, it can't be that boring," Daniel said. "This gala's pretty fancy, and Violet said you're a guest of honor?" 

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Violet tends to overstate the importance of things sometimes. Although I had a hand in setting up the new exhibit, I think I'm far from being considered a guest of honor." 

Daniel smiled at her humility. "I don't know about that, what's the exhibit about?" 

"It's a collection of letters found in archives all over the country, that recount both world wars. The stories are told through letters sent between soldiers and their families back home. I was only able to find a few continued letters of correspondence, so we don't know what the responses to most of these letters are." 

Daniel smiled, but had a sad look on his face. Peggy immediately caught on. "What's wrong?" 

"Do you know how I lost my leg?" he asked, and Peggy shook her head. "I did a few tours with the army and I got hit by an IED one time while I was out on patrol. After that I was discharged, which was about a year ago." 

"Oh Daniel," Peggy said, reaching down to take his hand. "I didn't know. We don't have to go in if you don't want to." 

"It's not that," he said, smiling. 

"Then what is it?" 

"Peggy, do you believe in fate?"

Peggy was silent for a few moments. "Honestly, I don't know." 

"I don't know how else to explain it," Daniel said. "After I came home, I reinvented myself to the best of my ability. I didn't tell anyone how I lost my leg, and I gave vague hints if someone asked me about it. Yet somehow, here you are, someone who just happens to be a historian that just finished a museum exhibit on military history. It's not a lot to go on, but right now, I think I do believe in fate." 

Peggy opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a person tapping her on the shoulder. She turned around to see one of the event sponsors, Howard Stark, who she had communicated with a few times regarding the gala and its planning. "Miss Carter, it's lovely to see you," he said. "I'm not interrupting am I?" 

"Uh, no, not at all," Peggy said, putting on a smile. "This is Daniel, a friend of mine," she said, gesturing at him. 

Howard smiled and turned towards him. "She's the best, you know that? This event would not have happened without her, no matter how much she tries to downplay it." 

Peggy scoffed. "Mr. Stark, I hardly think that's true!"

Daniel however, smiled. "I believe it." 

***

Peggy ended up having to stay late after the gala was over to do some things for work, so Daniel helped her out a little. Walking back to the car, he stopped for a second, and she gave him a confused look. "What is it?" 

"I'm just a friend, huh?" Daniel was grinning. 

"What on earth are you talking about?" 

"Back there, when Howard Stark interrupted us, you said I was your friend. Unless my memory is faulty, I thought we were here on a date." 

Peggy rolled her eyes as she caught on to Daniel's teasing. "Well, what else would you have preferred? I didn't want to be too presumptive, not knowing if you'd even go out with me again." 

"Peggy, you can be as presumptive as you want," he said, smiling at her. 

His answer to that was a kiss. A damn good one too. "Was that too presumptive to you?" Peggy asked after they broke apart. 

"Not if you kiss me like that again," he said, pulling her into his arms. 

Neither of them could contain their smiles the whole way home. 

_\- the end -_


End file.
